On This Page You'll Find:

Your Colgate Return on Investment

Use the estimated return on investment for Colgate University below to decide if attending Colgate is a smart financial decision for you.

Break Even In 4.2 Years
at Colgate University

College is expensive and every year spent getting your degree is a year of lost wages and additional expenses.
To determine when you will make up for the costs of college (your Return on Investment), we will look at the estimated cost of a degree
and the average starting salary of graduates from Colgate University.

Average yearly cost

$49,000

Average years to graduate

4.1

Average starting salary

$47,000

The average cost for a degree at Colgate University comes out to about
$197,000.
If you make about $47,000 a year, it will take you
4.2
years following graduation to break even.

Additional Considerations

Be Wary of Excess Debt: According to the U.S. Department of Education. In 2012, the nationwide average salary for young adults with a bachelor's degree was about $47,000, while only $30,000 for those with a high school diploma.

The "break even" calculation above does not include interest on student loans. How will your debt level affect your ROI?

Colgate University Major Specific Salary Info

Catch a High School Graduate Within 18 Years of Graduating

To determine the year when you catch up, we need to factor in the average earnings of a high school graduate.
To simplify things, we will assume that the high school graduate starts out earning their full average salary of $30,000 and lives at home
for free, while you must pay for your living expenses during college.
After college, we will assume that you both have the same expenses.

The earnings from an average graduate at Colgate University will surpass those of a high school graduate in
18 years.

For a more detailed and accurate look at early/mid-career earnings see the chart below.

This chart includes both starting and mid-career salaries for graduates from Colgate University.
Data for high school earnings comes from the 2012 U.S. Census

Additional Considerations:

Want an extra $17,000 a year? According to the U.S. Department of Education. In 2012, the nationwide average salary for young adults with a bachelor's degree was about $47,000, while only $30,000 for those with a high school diploma.

Over 30 Years, a Degree at Colgate University is Worth
$1,522,000

Setting aside the time value of money, after 30 years, an undergraduate degree from Colgate University is worth about
$1,522,000
more than what it would cost you.

Your total earnings of $1,719,000
from your initial investment in tuition, fees and other expenses of about $197,000
gives you an annualized return of

If instead of going to college, you put that initial investment into Treasury Bills for 30 years at 5% you would have about
$851,434